Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday June 24th through Sunday June 30th.
The moon is at third quarter on the night of Saturday the 29th into the morning hours of Sunday the 30th, so we will have a waning gibbous moon nearly all of this week.
In the west-northwestern skies after sunset, Mercury is sinking back towards the sun as Venus continues to pull away. Mercury is setting at 9:40 p.m. at midweek, followed by Venus at 10:15 p.m.
Saturn is now high in the south as the evening skies darken and is setting at 3:05 a.m. at midweek.
Over in the east, shortly before sunrise, Mars is rising at 5:20 a.m., followed by Jupiter at 6:10 a.m., just 25 minutes before the sun.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. RLM is located on the southeast corner of Dean Keeton and Speedway. Take the elevator to the 17th floor and follow the signs to the telescope.
Public viewing at the 9-inch refractor at Painter Hall is on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe and is northeast of the UT Tower. To get to the telescope, take the elevator to the 5th floor and exit to the left. Follow the 5th floor hallway to the end and take the staircase through the double doors on the left. Once you reach the 6th floor, go to your right and follow the signs up to the telescope.
All events are free and open to all ages and no reservations are required. Note that viewing times and availability change throughout the year. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 512-232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled start time when a viewing is cancelled.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
